Rail unions demand freeze on jobs 'massacre'

Rail union bosses are meeting Geoff Hoon, the transport secretary, today in an escalating dispute over job losses, service cuts and fare rises.

Fares increased by up to 11 per cent in January, adding hundreds of pounds to the price of annual season tickets, and the unions will demand an industry-wide freeze over the cuts in jobs and train services.

Bob Crow, leader of the RMT rail union, warned that the negative forecasts for the Retail Price Index could see train operating companies losing further jobs and services.

More than 2,500 jobs have been cut in the past three months, with rail companies also making trains shorter, closing ticket offices for longer periods and even scrapping dining cars on long-distance routes in an effort to maintain profits during the recession. They have refused to guarantee there will not be compulsory redundancies.

Mr Crow said: "It is critical for the future of the rail industry that the Government intervenes now to stop the jobs massacre and to call to account the private companies who have bled billions of pounds in profit and subsidies out of the British taxpayer."

Gerry Doherty, general secretary of the TSSA transport union, accused the rail companies of "using the recession as an excuse to cut back on services".